AXA Mansard Health has extended its hepatitis awareness campaign to the Bariga area of Lagos, offering residents free screening, health education and support services as part of a broader push for preventive healthcare and early disease detection.
The outreach, held to mark World Hepatitis Day 2026, forms part of the health management organisation’s ongoing commitment to expanding access to preventive care, especially in communities where routine screening and health information are often scarce.
Community members who took part were screened for hepatitis at no cost and received guidance on prevention, diagnosis, and why prompt medical attention matters when symptoms arise.
Beyond the medical component, the programme included the distribution of relief packages to vulnerable families in the area, offering them immediate, practical support.
AXA Mansard Health noted that bringing screening and health education directly into communities is key to bridging existing gaps in awareness and access to preventive services.
The Bariga initiative points to a wider issue in Nigeria’s healthcare landscape: delayed diagnoses and limited access to routine screening tend to deepen both the health and financial toll of diseases that are otherwise treatable.
From the perspective of insurers and HMOs, a stronger focus on prevention and early detection carries added benefit, it can help curb long-term healthcare costs by enabling intervention before conditions escalate.
In that sense, the outreach reflects a larger trend in healthcare delivery, one that favours awareness, screening and early action over treating diseases only after they’ve advanced.
AXA Mansard Health said it remains committed to backing initiatives that give Nigerians the knowledge and tools to make informed health decisions, adding that consistent public education paired with better screening access is essential to stopping hepatitis from advancing into severe, life-threatening territory.
The campaign further illustrates the part private-sector players can play in advancing early detection and preventive care.